I very much want to know if either of the candidates for president has executed bad judgment in the past. I also want to know if either has been, or is being, dishonest. And, yes, I want to know who their friends are, who their mentors were, who they listen to and who's opinions they respect. These are all valid areas in inquiry, as far as I am concerned.
It is only a "smear campaign" if the allegations are known to be false by the persons making or repeating them. Or if the persons repeating the charge have no idea what the facts are, but repeat the allegations anyway. Or, if the "search" for facts was one-sided. For example, if a liberal repeated an allegation against the GOP, after having "verified" the charge by looking for confirmation in the New York Times. I would call that a "smear".
